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As debut seasons go there can be no harder way for a rookie rider like Mark Aitchison to start his WSBK career than the challenge facing him in 2011. With every single regular entry located in the very top drawer of production-based racing and with a new Ninja ZX- 10R racebike to help develop in a privateer Pedercini Team set-up, Aitchison has not just one challenge to overcome, but many. So far so good, as he has already scored a top ten and with it a top Kawasaki finishing slot (in race one at Assen). Finding consistency and some other keys to making a Superbike tick each and every weekend are still in the ‘to-do' folder, however.

Said 27-year-old Aitchison of his first impressions in his rookie year, "I am just getting ready to head to Miller but for the season so far it is obviously a very competitive class in the Superbike World Championship. I am not in a position in WSBK where I think I can be right now. I think Pedercini and I can be a very good team in 2011; it is just putting it together with the package to make it work week-in and week-out."

Having spent his career on Supersport and Superstock machinery, Aitchison has been thrown into the deep end in his first ever races on a full WSBK machine. Mark knows that he has to gain experience to make the most of his most recent opportunity. "As far as the championship is concerned, it has the best riders involved, and they are very formidable," said Mark. "Competitiveness is very high and for me that is a good thing, because I can try and strive towards the top guys in the class. I try to better my riding, better the whole team situation and the experience we have with the new Kawasaki. The idea for me is to work each weekend forwards, to reduce the gap in practice and qualifying and then try to make the differences in the races."

So far, his top ten at Assen is the big confidence booster, and shows what is possible for even private teams in 2011. "At this point that race is the highlight of the year and it is now all about consolidating some of the work we did there, and putting the boys in the right frame of mind so we can work positively all together. A lot of it is about improving me, and I have to learn a lot about the bike and riding a Superbike. As a team we have to work towards helping me and to improving the bike. I think we have a lot of potential to go."